by Nathaniel R
Sean Connery at the 76th Oscars. Courtesy of HO/AMPAS
The Oscar winning superstar Sir Thomas Sean Connery has died two months after his 90th birthday. Connery's acting career began in 1953 as part of the chorus of a production of the stage musical South Pacific. Four years later his movie career began in earnest with several small roles the debut being a crime drama No Road Back. Global fame would take another five years to arrive. It happened as the original 007 in Dr. No (1962), making Connery the figurehead of an colossally successful movie franchise. It's still running to this day 37 years after Connery let his license-to-kill expire.
He's the only James Bond to win an Oscar via 1987's mobsters vs cops drama The Untouchables. He retired from the screen after 2003's would-be franchise launch League of Extraordinarily Gentlemen but he remains beloved to multiple generations. After the jump, 12 essential Connery films to track his career (if we've written about them the link will take you there).
We lumped all Bond films into one because his career was so much larger than just the super spy...
TARZAN'S GREATEST ADVENTURE (1957)
He's the main villain's deadliest henchman in this memorable Tarzan flick giving you an early taste of where his career might have gone if he hadn't landed him firmly in leading man territory. He makes quite a believable bad guy with his heavy brows, bloodlust, and dangerous handsomeness.
DARBY O'GILL AND THE LITTLE PEOPLE (1957)
An early taste of the romantic leading man to come in a supporting role in this classic family film as a good young man who takes over the lead's job when he's forced into retirement and romances his daughter (with daddy's approval)
DR NO (1962-1983) and James Bond in general
Connery made seven Bond films, the most beloved of which are the second through fourth entries: FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (1963), GOLDFINGER (1964), FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (1964) and THUNDERBALL (1965) -- Goldfinger is my favourite -- but it was Dr. No that started it all. Connery's last Bond film, the "unofficial" NEVER SAY NEVER (1983) is his weakest Bond outing but it is the only James Bond film in which both the Bond Girl (Kim Basinger) and 007 himself are played by eventual Oscar winners.
MARNIE (1964)
One of Alfred Hitchcock's most divisive titles. Some think it's brilliant, others that it's a sour note that ended Hitch's most esteemed run from the late 50s through the early 60s (North by Northwest-Vertigo-Psycho-The Birds). But it's a fine example of Connery using both his romantic movie star bonafides and his ability to land more unsavory notes together in one film. He could have been a regular movie villain if Bond hadn't happened.
ZARDOZ (1974)
His only true camp classic -- it's the costuming that puts it over the edge, though the other crafts are just as insane.
MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (1974)
Here we see him going through a common right of passage of headlining stars, doing an all-star ensemble picture in which all the A-listers deign to be supporting players in order to work together. It's not slumming if you're all doing it; even Joan Crawford was willing to do it in the 1930s.
THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING (1975)
An adventure film based on a Rudyard Kipling story. He and Sir Michael Caine (who were close friends before either of them were famous) played English military officers in India deceiving natives of an isolated island. This was reportedly Connery's favourite of his own films. He was working with a beloved friend. He was thrilled to be done with Bond (like Daniel Craig he repeatedly bitched about the demands of playing Bond over and over again)... though he eventually went back for one more.
ROBIN AND MARIAN (1976)
A well liked and more original take on the Robin Hood myth than the movies normally give us with Robin (Connery) and Marian (Audrey Hepburn) both older, years after their famous "adventures". Because Connery normally starred in action flicks, he doesn't have a lot of memorable romantic dramas in his filmography pairing him with female A-listers. It's either this or Russia House (1990) with Michelle Pfeiffer if you're jonesing for that.
HIGHLANDER (1986)
Another rite of passage for aging male action stars, becoming the "mentor" to the young protagonist. In this sword-fetishizing fantasy movie he trains "the one" Christopher Lambert to keep his head (the only way to kill an immortal being decapitation). It's also a key movie in using Connery's iconic Scottishness to proper effect what with the costuming; James Bond wasn't one to wear kilts!
THE UNTOUCHABLES (1987)
The Oscar winning role, so it had to be a true story, natch. He plays Jim Malone who aided Federal Agent Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner) in his fight against mob corruption. Robert De Niro is on villain duty as legendary mobster Al Capone. We'll talk about this one next week (it was already planned prior to his passing.)
INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE (1989)
We ❤️ Professor Henry Jones. A perfect movie for showing how gracefully his screen charisma aged. And for utilizing his comic timing... which had always been there but never much of a focus.
THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER (1990) or ENTRAPMENT (1999)
His last two blockbuster successes. Choose October if you like man's man suspense and Entrapment if you enjoy CZJ's slinky sexiness.
Which Sean Connery role or movie is dearest to your heart?